Nevermore
by SparklingSilverHearts
Summary: AU, ONESHOT: 7 years after graduation Hermione finally returns back to her friends, but is it too late?


Hermione smiled at the shop keeper as she walked out of Flourish & Blotts, amazed that her favorite book shop still stood after all these years. She stopped in front of the shop, took in the warm summer air and gazed about her. Witches and Wizard of all ages were busying themselves around her, going from shop to shop.

A small smile played on her lips as she remembered her childhood. Gringotts still stood of course, Ollivander's was still there, up and running. Ollivander himself had been killed by Voldemort personally around Hermione's 7th year, almost 7 years ago. Rumor was that his great nephew ran the shop and was just as great as Ollivander ever was.

She snapped herself out of her daydream and hastily made her way towards The Leaky Cauldron to leave Diagon Alley when she literally ran into someone, knocking all of her books to the ground.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I wasn't even paying any attention at all." She bent down and began to pick up all her books. The person she ran into bent down as well helping her.

"No really, I'm sorry." He looked up into her face, "Hermione is that really you?"

She looked up from the ground and fallen books, "Harry!" They both stood up and hugged. They parted and she really got a good look at him for the first time in 7 years. He was tall, lean, and looked more and more like his father, with his mothers' eyes of course.

"It's been too long. What have you been up to? How's Ginny and Ron? Mrs. and Mr. Weasley how are they?"

Harry chuckled at her, "one question at a time. How about we head over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor for old times sake and talk?" Hermione looked at Harry puzzled, "but I thought that place shut down at the beginning of the second war?"

Harry shook his head, "oh it did, but Fortescue came back after Voldemort was defeated. Somebody else owns it now, but it's still in business."

They walked over and got some ice cream and sat at a table outside. "So Hermione, tell me everything about healers school in America."

"Well I learned so much! You just grow so attached to the patients and want them to get better. School was such a good learning experience. I did miss you guys though."

Harry finished all of his ice cream, "yeah we missed you too, but with the second war going on and all we didn't have much time to owl." Hermione reached over and grabbed Harry's hand, "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you when the final battle came. I missed you all terribly. So tell me Mr. Quidditch player are you some famous seeker now?"

"No, after the war I wanted to dedicate my life to catching evil witches and wizards. But listen Hermione I'm sorry I can't stay longer, I'm supposed to meet up with Ginny. It was really nice seeing you again." He stood up and disappeared with a pop.

Hermione sighed and threw the rest of her ice cream away, "maybe I have been gone too long."

Hermione finally unpacked the last box in her new flat in London. Crookshanks purred at her feet, she looked around unsure what to do next. She expected a better reaction to her being home than she got from Harry last week. Noticing a light pecking at her window she walked over to it. Hedwig was sitting on her window seal. "You were always such a beautiful owl," she said letting her in. Hermione took the letter from Hedwig and got the owl some treats before it flew out of her window back to Harry.

_Hermione,_

_We only just got your letter. Harry says he literally ran into you in Diagon Alley. Congratulations on making head healer at St. Mungo's, they don't know what they got themselves into. Harry and I have plans tonight we're going to my mums to have a family dinner. Sorry we can't spend more time together, Harry is always busy and I am as well. I've taken the position at Hogwarts for Defense Against the Dark Arts and I have been there for 3 years now. All the best luck to you_.

_Ginny_

Lonely and depressed she turned in for the night with the hopes that everything would turn around tomorrow when she started her new job tomorrow as head healer at St. Mungo's.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months and she still hadn't seen her friends. Consumed with work Hermione never really had time to stop and think about what was going on. Finally on a day off she finally decided to Apparate to the Burrow. Walking up towards the door she looked around the yard, toy brooms were scattered everywhere, lawn chairs and tables stood. She knocked on the door only to be greeted by Molly.

"Oh my dear Hermione, what a pleasant surprise, please come in, come in."

Hermione smiled at the old witch, and walked in.

Looking around she noticed not much had changed. Molly started a pot of tea and sat down at the table motioning for her to do the same.

"So when did you get back in town?"

Trying to hide the look of surprise Hermione answered, "I've been back for 4 months didn't Harry or Ginny tell you?"

"No dear when did you see them?"

Hermione looked at her tea cup that was now full and took a sip, "well I ran into Harry at least 4 months ago when I got back, but Ginny I haven't seen yet."

"Oh I'm not sure. He didn't have the little one with him then?"

Hermione shook her head no and Molly continued, "Well Harry and Ginny have been married for 3 years now and have a two year old named James, of course. Ronald, my baby married Lavender and they are expecting a set of twins in December. The twins still own that bloody joke shop and haven't found a suitable wife yet. Fred has been married twice but doesn't seem ready to settle down yet and George has been married once but that only lasted two months. Lupin and Tonks married after the war was over, they realized they only had a limited amount of time when Lupin became ill, he passed a little over a year ago. Harry took it the hardest, of course seeing as how Lupin was his father's only remaining friend and like a father to Harry himself."

Molly looked up from her tea cup, Hermione had tears streaming down her face. "Oh dear, I'm sorry I didn't know. I thought Ron and Harry kept in touch with you all these year you were away."

Hermione sobbed, "They didn't even send me an owl. It was so hard being that far away not hearing from your friends, I mean at first we kept in contact but after a while it seemed we went our separate ways. I always assumed they'd owl me if something that important as death or marriage or children being born happened but they didn't. I guess I'm just as much to blame." She blew her nose on her napkin.

"I'm sorry Molly I have to go. I have to go and talk to Harry." Molly stood up and hugged the still crying girl.

Hermione took a deep breath as she stood in front of Harry and Ginny's house. She knocked on the door and waited. Harry opened the door.

"Hermione, what are you doing here? Were you crying?"

Hermione wiped her nose with the sleeve of her robes, "Can I come in?"

He held the door open to her and she walked into the sitting room. "Listen Harry, I went to the Burrow today and talked with Molly. She told me everything that's happened in your lives," she paused, "why didn't you or Ron ever owl me? Why did we stop being friends?"

Harry sat on his couch, "it's just been so long Hermione I-" he was interrupted by a skinny little boy with strikingly dark black hair and green eyes. "Daddy? Who's that?"

Harry stood up and picked up his son, "its daddy's friend lets get you back to nap time." He turned to Hermione, "excuse me for a second."

Hermione looked around the room at the pictures that knew more of her friends past than she did. Birthday parties, holidays, babies being born and family portraits adorned the room, "you missed out on a lot you know." Harry said into her ear.

Hermione's eyes started to brim with tears, "I know I'm sorry I was just so busy."

Harry took her hand in his, "I know everyone was. When the war was over everyone's major concern was getting back to their lives. Having a daily routine where we didn't have to worry about Death Eaters raiding our houses and killing our families. It was hard getting our normal lives back."

Harry sighed and took a seat on his couch, "Hermione I've been doing a lot of thinking these past months and I've come to a conclusion."

Hermione sat down, her breath baited at his words, "I've finally realized that it's been 7 years and maybe it has just been too long to rebuild a friendship."

Hermione was confused and hurt at his words. Harry Potter one of her best friends, didn't want to be her friend anymore?

"How can you say that, Harry?"

Harry stood up, "Hermione come off it! 7 years is a long time and we haven't talked barely once in that whole time. When were we friends anyway? It's almost like we're strangers now. We just have two different lives and it might be crappy but that's just how I feel."

Hermione stood up and walked towards the door, anger coursing through her, "Fine, but you can't just expect a friendship to just poof out of thin air. We're busy people and it's not like we're just sitting around deciding not to see each other and do friendly things with each other, we're working and your raising a family. And I know it has been a long time since we've seen each other and I don't expect things to just pick up from where we left off, but not everything in life can be easy. Sometimes you have to fight for things."

"You don't think I don't know that Hermione? You don't think I didn't fight for things every day when Voldemort was in power. I know about fighting."

"Fine Harry if you don't want to be my friend anymore then, fine" she stopped to wipe the tears from her eyes, "But you will always be my first friend and best friend. Hopefully one day you'll realize that no matter how many years we've spent apart, that's what you'll always be to me. If someday you do decide that you want to be my friend, you know where to find me."

"I guess time will tell," he said gently.

And with that she walked out of his house and out of his life forever.


End file.
